Description
A spooky and fun Halloween-themed pasta dish featuring spaghetti with a rich tomato sauce and mozzarella balls made to look like eyeballs.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef or turkey
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1-inch balls
- 2 black olives, pitted and halved
- Red food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While spaghetti cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground meat and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain excess fat.
- Add chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- For the mozzarella eyeballs: If desired, tint the mozzarella balls slightly pink with red food coloring.
- Place a halved black olive in the center of each mozzarella ball to create the pupil.
- Serve the bloody spaghetti sauce over the cooked spaghetti.
- Garnish each serving with a few mozzarella eyeballs.
Notes
- You can use pre-made marinara sauce to save time.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little heat.
- For a vegetarian option, omit the meat and add sautéed mushrooms or zucchini.
- Ensure the mozzarella balls are firm enough to hold their shape.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 90mg